Sesquiterpenes from the marine red alga Laurencia distichophylla

A new cuparene-type sesquiterpene, isolaurenisol, has been isolated and identified from the New Zealand red alga Laurencia distichophylla. Major differences in the chemical composition of two morphologically indistinguishable samples of L. distichophylla are noted.     

Chemical variation in a new bromochamigrene derivative from the red seaweed Laurencia pacifica

The secondary metabolite chemistry of the red seaweed Laurencia pacifica Kylin varies geographically. The La Jolla, Calif. population (type locality) contains the sesquiterpene prepacifenol, while L. pacifica collected south of Ensenada, Mexico contains a new bromochamigrene derivative, the structure of which is described herein. Since chamigrene synthesis in Laurencia species has been demonstrated to be reasonably species-specific, L. pacifica may be a mixture of morphologically similar forms.     

Intricenyne and related halogenated compounds from Laurencia intricata

A total of eleven C₁₅ nonterpenoid halogenated compounds were isolated and characterized to varying degrees from the marine red alga Laurencia intricata. Based on IR, UV, NMR, MS and chemical data, a structure is proposed for one of these compounds which was assigned the name intricenyne.     

Amino acid sequence of a ferredoxin from Rhodymenia palmata, a red alga in the florideophyceae

The amino acid sequence of a [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin from a red alga, Rhodymenia palmata in the family Florideophyceae, was determined by conventional methods. The ferredoxin is composed of 97 amino acid residues having five cysteines, but lacking methionine and tryptophan. It possesses a number of structural features of particular interest. The amino acid sequence is compared with those previously determined for ferredoxins from two red algae in the family Bangiophyceae. Conclusions from a comparison of the structures, by noting features such as the presence of gaps in the sequences and by constructing a phylogenetic tree, were consistent with the proposed taxonomic relationship among these algae.     

Comparative properties of ferredoxins from a marine and freshwater species of Porphyridium

Ferredoxins were isolated from the freshwater red alga Porphyridium aerugineut, and from Porphyridium cruentum, a related marine species. A sin     

Kallymenia crouaniorum (Kallymeniaceae,Rhodophyta), a new red algal species from the Laminaria hyperborea understorey community

In this paper we describe Kallymenia crouaniorum Vergés & Le Gall, sp. nov. (Kallymeniaceae), a new marine red alga from the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean. rbcL and LSU sequences of this species, previously misidentified in the field as Kallymenia reniformis, diverged from those of other Kallymenia species by at least 7.5% and 5.2%, respectively. Kallymenia crouaniorum also has a set of distinctive vegetative and reproductive characteristics, including a deeply lacerate frond, a short stipe, dentate margins, large cortical cells up to 110 μm in diameter, highly refractive stellate medullary cells with arms up to 1000 μm in length, and a monocarpogonial branch system. Molecular phylogenies inferred from rbcL and LSU data indicated, albeit with weak support, that this new species is a sister taxon of a lineage encompassing the generitype K. reniformis, as well as most species of Kallymenia included in the phylogenetic analysis. The main morphological characters that delineate monocarpogonial Kallymenia species are presented. Moreover, after reviewing the literature and several herbarium specimens, we found in the Weber-van Bosse Herbarium a specimen collected at Roscoff in August 1894 with the anatomical characters of the species described here, confirming that this newly described species has in fact been overlooked and is not a recent introduction.     

Acyclic tetraprenyltoluquinols from Cystoseira sauvageuana and their possible role as biogenetic precursors of the cyclic cystoseira metabolites

From the brown alga Cystoseira sauvageuana two novel tetraprenyltoluquinols with an acyclic terpenoid side chain have been isolated. Their chemical transformation into compounds containing a cyclopentane ring provides a clue to the biogenesis of the cyclic Cystoseira metabolites.     

Partial structure and properties of the ferredoxin from Rhodymenia palmata

A ferredoxin of MW 11 000 was isolated from the marine alga Rhodymenia palmata (Palmaria palmata). In its oxidised form the ferredoxin had absorption maxima at 276, sh 281, 328, 423 and 465 nm, and contained a single [2Fe-2S] cluster. The midpoint potential of the ferredoxin was ?400 mV and it effectively mediated electron transport in NADP⁺-photoreduction by higher plant chloroplasts, and pyruvate decarboxylation by the phosphoroclastic system of an anacrobic bacterium. The amino acid composition was Lys₃, His₁, Arg₁, Asx₁₂, Thr₉, Ser₈, Glx₁₃, Pro₄, Gly₈, Ala₇, Cys₅, Val₈, Ile₄, Leu₉, Tyr₄, Phe₂; tryptophan and methionine were absent from the molecule. The N-terminal amino acid region consisting of ca half the total amino acid sequence was determined using an automatic sequencer.     

A new marine gobiid species of the genus Clariger Jordan & Snyder (Gobiidae, Teleostei) from Taiwan

A new species of Clariger Jordan & Snyder, 1901 was collected from northern Taiwan. The genus was previously known only from Japanese waters. This discovery is the first formal and southernmost record of these marine gobies from the waters of subtropical Taiwan. The new species, Clariger taiwanensissp. n., is distinguished from its congeners by a unique combination of features: (1) fin rays: dorsal-fin rays III, I/8; anal-fin rays modally I/8; and pectoral-fin rays modally 19 (2+16+1); (2) longitudinal dermal ridge on head with 6 barbels; and (3) specific coloration pattern: head and trunk dark brown with scattered pale spots and blotches; cheek, ventral portion of head sometimes pale with deep brown spots; pectoral-fin base with a dark brown band; and caudal fin mostly dark brown proximally and with alternating and irregular dark brown and pale bands distally. A diagnostic key to all nominal species from Japan and Taiwan is provided.     

Characterization of a non-thermophilic strain of the red algal genus Galdieria isolated from Soos (Czech Republic)

Volcanic areas with highly acidic solfatara soils and temperatures of up to 56?°C are inhabited by the red algal genus Galdieria. We examined three highly acidic but non-volcanic habitats in the western part of the Czech Republic for the occurrence of this red alga. In soil samples from the National Nature Reserve of Soos we found, together with Euglena mutabilis, Pseudococcomyxa simplex and species of Chlorella, a new strain of Galdieria. In contrast to all other Galdieria strains described so far, the strain from Soos exhibited a low temperature optimum for growth of about 30?°C. Other properties, such as the substrate spectrum for heterotrophic growth, ultrastructure, fatty acid composition, thermostability of enzymes and the nitrogen source, showed no obvious differences from other strains of Galdieria. Within a phylogenetic tree based on 18S rRNA sequence data, the strain from Soos occupied a position at the base of the ‘Galdieria’-branch. Our findings indicate that the genus Galdieria is not restricted to volcanic and mining areas and that strains of Galdieria are able to compete successfully with green algae in habitats like Soos.     

Metabolism of 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, 3-bromo-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde and bromide by cell-free fractions of the marine red alga Odonthalia floccosa

Cell-free fractions from Odonthalia floccosa incubated with 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde-[U-¹⁴C], 3-bromo-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde-[U-¹⁴C] and ⁸²Br^? formed the dibromo-dihydroxybenzaldehyde derivatives of the bromophenols (brominated benzylalcohols) which were also identified as naturally occurring products.     

A new species of the genus Helcogramma (Blenniiformes, Tripterygiidae) from Taiwan

A new species of triplefin fish (Blenniiformes: Tripterygiidae), Helcogramma williamsi, is described from six specimens collected from southern Taiwan. This species is well distinguished from its congeners by possessing 13 second dorsal-fin spines; third dorsal-fin rays modally 11; anal-fin rays modally 19; pored scales in lateral line 22-24; dentary pore pattern modally 5+1+5; lobate supraorbital cirrus; broad, serrated or palmate nasal cirrus; first dorsal fin lower in height than second; males with yellow mark extending from anterior tip of upper lip to anterior margin of eye and a whitish blue line extending from corner of mouth onto preopercle. Comparisons and a diagnostic key are provided for the species of Helcogramma now known from Taiwan: Helcogramma fuscipectoris, Helcogramma inclinata, Helcogramma striata, Helcogramma trigloides, and the newly recorded, Helcogramma rhinoceros.     

A nuclear phylogeny of the Florideophyceae (Rhodophyta) inferred from combined EF2, small subunit and large subunit ribosomal DNA: establishing the new red algal subclass Corallinophycidae

Previous studies have indicated that resolution of supraordinal relationships in the red algal class Florideophyceae will require additional characters, improved taxon sampling and optimized methods of phylogenetic analysis. To this end, we have generated data to introduce a novel nuclear marker to red algal systematics, elongation factor 2, as well as expanded ribosomal DNA alignments (SSU and LSU) to include 62 ingroup and 4 outgroup taxa. Both single gene and combined data sets were considered. Our analyses resulted in better resolution of both deep as well as more recent divergences, with higher support realized at many nodes. Distance, parsimony and bayesian analyses of the single gene and combined data sets indicated that the subclasses Hildenbrandiophycidae, Ahnfeltiophycidae and Rhodymeniophycidae were monophyletic, whereas the Nemaliophycidae was polyphyletic: one lineage containing the Rhodogorgonales and Corallinales (CR complex); and the other containing the Acrochaetiales, Balbianiales, Balliales, Batrachospermales, Colaconematales, Nemaliales, Palmariales, and Thoreales (APB complex). Based on these results a new subclass of the Florideophyceae, the Corallinophycidae subclassis nov., is proposed to accommodate the Corallinales and Rhodogorgonales. In addition to resolving supraordinal relationships, the present analyses resolved some novel ordinal affinities within the Nemaliophycidae and Rhodymeniophycidae, which are discussed here.     

A new genus of Platycopioida (Copepoda) from a marine cave on Bermuda

Nanocopia minuta was collected from an inland marine cave on Bermuda. This new genus is reminiscent of Platycopia in its cephalic appendages and in the 5th legs of the male. The 1st leg has a 3-segmented exopod and a 1-segmented endopod. The other legs show reductions with no armature along the inner margin of the exopods and with 2-segmented endopods in the female. Only 2nd and 3rd legs bear two outer spines on the first exopodal segment.Owing to similarities in sexual characters, mouthparts, and modifications of the swimming legs, Nanocopia and Platycopia are considered more closely related to each other than either is to Antrisocopia.Platycopioida now contains three genera of which two are found only in Roadside Cave. The order has retained several primitive characters and seems to have separated early from the gymnoplean stem.     

Composition of Gigartina carrageenan in relation to sporophyte and gametophyte stages of the life cycle

Total carrageenan levels (55–88% of plant dry weight) of four Gigartina species showed little variation between male, female and tetrasporic plants. However whereas male and female gametophyte plants gave carrageenans with K: λ ratios usually ranging from 1·0 to 4·0, with one species in the range 0·3–0·8, tetrasporophyte carrageenans gave very low K: λ ratios, 0·02–0·1, indicative of a virtual absence of K-carrageenan from plants of this stage of the life cycle.     

Neoprincipia nov. gen., a new Mississippian red alga, and remarks on the Archaeolithophyllaceae (Rhodophyta)

A new alga is described from the late Visean of SW Spain: Neoprincipia nov. gen. Specimens of this new genus were either usually assigned to Archaeolithophyllum or Principia of Brigantian-Serpukhovian age. Two new species N. guadiatica nov. gen., nov. sp. and N. tethysiana nov. gen., nov. sp. are described. Their massive appearance, in continuous series, characterizes the base of the Brigantian elsewhere in the Paleotethys, although some rare cases of first appearance in the late Asbian exist. Its acme is Brigantian, but it extends into the Pendleian. The genus Neoprincipia, and its family Archaeolithophyllaceae, are interpreted to be the earliest true red algae, that exhibit clearly differentiated hypothallus and perithallus, and therefore are situated at the origin of these “coralline algae”, which are very prolific from the Cretaceous to the Recent.     

A new species ofFontanesia (Oleaceae) from China and taxonomic revision of the genus

Fontanesia longicarpa K.-J. Kim is newly described from China. This distinctive species is known only from the Zhejiang province and differs from other species in the genus by the size and shape of its fruit. As currently circumscribed, the genus now consists of three taxa;F. longicarpa, F. philliraeoides Labill. var.philliraeoides andF. philliraeoides var.fortunei (Carr.) Koehne. A revisionary study of the genus is provided, including a key and pertinent synonymy.     

Biosynthesis of marine natural products: isolation and characterization of a myrcene synthase from cultured tissues of the marine red alga Ochtodes secundiramea

The acyclic monoterpene myrcene is the likely progenitor of the unusual cytotoxic halogenated monoterpenes that are found in marine algae and that function as feeding deterrents to herbivores. Myrcene synthase was isolated from suspension cultures of the marine red alga Ochtodes secundiramea, representing the first enzyme of this type from a marine organism. The algal myrcene synthase produces exclusively myrcene from the natural substrate geranyl diphosphate (GDP), utilizes Mg(+2) as the required divalent metal ion cofactor, has a molecular mass of about 69 kDa, and exhibits a pH optimum near 7.2. These features are similar to those of monoterpene synthases from terrestrial organisms. When incubated with neryl diphosphate (the cis-isomer of GDP), the O. secundiramea myrcene synthase produces the cyclic monoterpene limonene, whereas incubation with (+/-)linalyl diphosphate (the tertiary allylic isomer of geranyl diphosphate) yields both acyclic and cyclic monoterpenes. These results suggest that the enzyme is incapable of isomerizing geranyl diphosphate to linalyl diphosphate, a feature common to all monoterpene cyclases from terrestrial sources. The limited catalytic capability of the myrcene synthase may reflect the ancient evolutionary origin of the producing organism. The ability to assay this enzyme in cultured algae, grown under strictly defined conditions, provides an unparalleled opportunity to delineate factors eliciting the biosynthesis of this class of secondary metabolites, to investigate the metabolic pathway leading to the halogenated monoterpenes, and to determine their role in the chemical ecology of marine algae.